The youth of Al Ashrafieh Church of the Nazarene, Amman, Jordan, wrote, directed and starred in a complicated drama about love, performing it for a packed house of 600 people at a rented venue 29 April.
The play, entitled “The Pride of the Story,” depicted a great conflict between love and pride, in which an atheist was challenged by his believing friend to embrace the peerless love of God. The atheist was confronted by three stories of love.
It began with a scene inspired by the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, followed by the heartbreaking story of a father who donates his heart to save his sick son; then a poor mother, who deeply loves her family, is devastated when faced with the loss of either her husband or her child. The final scene portrays the victorious and wondrous love of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of all mankind. Having witnessed how Jesus conquered death by His resurrection, all pride in the atheist’s heart was shattered, and his beliefs collapsed in front of this matchless love.
What made the drama so special is how the Holy Spirit inspired and unified a group of inexperienced but creative youth as they developed the drama. Many people who do not attend the church came to see the performance, invited by their family members and friends, or having seen the event advertised on Facebook. Some people responded to an altar call at the close of the event, and church members prayed with them.
For the youth, an unforgettable moment was what happened behind the curtains, when the team of actors and helpers backstage — while no one was watching — held hands and with grateful hearts lifted up their voices in one accord, giving thanks to the Lord.
